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    The Heirloom Pantry » Recipe Index » Dinner

    Dutch Oven Whole Chicken with Meyer Lemon

    Published: Nov 25, 2019 · Modified: Jul 13, 2022 by Kathleen Higashiyama · The following content may contain affiliate links. When you click and shop the links, we receive a commission.

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    Dutch Oven Whole Chicken with Meyer Lemon is a show-stopping roasted chicken and the perfect centerpiece for a weeknight meal or family gathering. The whole chicken is cooked in one pot and has crispy skin, juicy meat, and a bright and herby citrus flavor. It only requires a few minutes of prep to make this succulent chicken recipe.

    Whole roast chicken in dutch oven stuffed with onion with lemons, artichokes, persimmons, and pomegranates in background.
    Whole roast chicken on plate stuffed with onion with lemons, artichokes, persimmons, pomegranates, and side dishes in background.

    You will wow your friends and family with this beautiful roasted chicken! Its bright flavors and fragrant herbs pay homage to California and its abundance of fresh produce. It smells and tastes of fragrant rosemary and thyme and zesty meyer lemon.

    Roasting it in a dutch oven allows for the skin to get crispy and golden and the meat to stay juicy. Serve this golden roasted chicken on a serving plate with rosemary and lemon for added garnish.

    Jump to:
    • About This Dish
    • Why Buy a Whole Chicken
    • Choosing a Whole Chicken
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • What to Serve with Dutch Oven Whole Chicken
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • What to Make with Leftover Chicken
    • Top Tips
    • How to Make Tender and Moist Chicken
    • Dutch Oven vs Slow Cooker
    • Related Recipes
    • Did You Like This Recipe?
    • Dutch Oven Whole Chicken

    About This Dish

    • Taste - The seasoned chicken is bright and flavorful.
    • Texture - Our slow roasting process ensures that the chicken is moist and tender.
    • Effort - It takes some effort to prepare the chicken then you just need to let it cook.
    • Time - It takes about a half hour to prep the chicken then one and a half hours to cook.

    Why Buy a Whole Chicken

    First, a whole roast chicken is cheaper per pound than buying chicken pieces. Additionally, the bones and skin create a superior flavor to boneless, skinless chicken. After all of the meat is eaten, boil the leftover chicken carcass in a pot of water with carrots, onion, and herbs to make chicken stock for other recipes.

    Choosing a Whole Chicken

    You can buy a whole roast chicken at most grocery stores, butchers, or farmers markets. Organic, free-range chicken often has the best flavor because the chickens are given free range to eat omega-rich critters in the grass. Additionally, the process in which the animals are raised is cleaner and more humane.

    Whole roast chicken on plate stuffed with onion with lemon, thyme and pomegranate.

    Ingredients

    • Whole roast chicken - the skin and bones of a whole chicken results in a lot of rich flavors. Choose organic and free-range for even better flavor and to support cleaner, better farming practices.   
    • Meyer lemon or regular lemon - adds a yummy citrus flavor to the meat and makes for a beautiful garnish.
    • Butter - locks in the moisture and makes the skin golden and extra crispy.
    • Rosemary - subtle, savory flavor that helps bring out the flavors of the dish.
    • Sage - adds a subtle mint, eucalyptus, and lemon profile.
    • Thyme - adds a sharp and peppery flavor that blends well with the other aromatics.
    • Onion - an aromatic that enhances the other flavors.
    • Kosher salt - a coarse salt that penetrates through the meat to make it tender and flavorful.
    • Pepper - freshly cracked to add spice.

    Instructions

    • Prepare the chicken - Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Take the chicken and remove the giblets then pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. 
    • Stuff the chicken - Stuff the chicken with the sprigs of thyme and rosemary. Next, place the chicken inside of the dutch oven.
    • Make the butter and herb mixture - In a bowl, mix lemon juice, butter, chopped sage, rosemary, thyme, kosher salt, and cracked pepper. Brush the chicken with the butter and herb mixture, covering the entire top and sides of the chicken. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the leftover lemon and onion. Truss the chicken legs by tying them together with baker’s twine. If you don’t have baker’s twine, you can skip the trussing.
    Whole roast chicken in dutch oven brushed with emon juice, butter, chopped sage, rosemary, thyme, kosher salt, and cracked pepper.
    • Cook the chicken - Place the lid on the dutch oven and cook the chicken in the oven for 1 hour. Remove dutch oven lid and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and crispy. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before carving and serving.

    Pro tip: If you prefer the chicken to be more juicy than crispy, cook the chicken with the lid on for more time and cook the chicken without the lid for less time.  For example, you can cook the chicken with the lid on for 70 minutes then without the lid for 10 minutes.

    What to Serve with Dutch Oven Whole Chicken

    If you want to make this cozy roast chicken recipe for a Thanksgiving meal or are just looking for delicious sides, check out these sides recipes:

    • Miso Mashed Potatoes with Miso Butter
    • Harvest Quinoa Salad with Arugula
    • Maple Roasted Kabocha
    • Sautéed Green Beans with Furikake
    • Sautéed Mushrooms with White Wine.
    Whole roast chicken on plate stuffed with onion lemons, artichokes, persimmons, and pomegranates in background.

    Substitutions

    • Regular lemon - Substitute the meyer lemons with regular lemons. Regular lemons are easier to access than meyer lemons and the taste is very similar.
    • Shallot - Use shallots instead of onion.  It has a milder taste that some people prefer.  
    • Orange - Use an orange instead of a lemon for a fragrant and different citrus taste.

    Variations

    • Garlic Roasted Chicken - Rub garlic powder over the chicken before cooking it in the oven. To make the chicken extra garlicky, take a bulb of garlic and chop a half inch off of the top. Then, stuff the garlic bulb in the chicken cavity.
    • Spicy - Add paprika to the butter and herb mixture for extra kick.
    • Wild Rice Stuffed Roasted Chicken - Stuff the chicken with wild rice to make a roasted chicken that is both flavorful and hearty.

    Equipment

    To make this roast chicken recipe, you will need basic kitchen equipment, including a dutch oven, knife, cutting board, and mixing bowl. To explore more kitchen items to make your kitchen complete, head to our Kitchen Essentials Shop.

    Storage

    The way you store leftover chicken will depend on how much leftover chicken you have. If you need to store most of the chicken, store it in the fridge in the covered dutch oven to lock in the moisture. Alternatively, carve the chicken and store in air-tight containers with the juices. Store the chicken in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat the chicken, slice it, put it on a baking dish or baking sheet, and reheat it in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.

    What to Make with Leftover Chicken

    • Make a sandwich - Slice the  leftover chicken and make a sandwich. You can make our Turkey and Swiss Sliders, just use the rotisserie chicken instead of ground turkey.  
    • Make chicken stock - You can use the bones of the chicken and the onion to make a homemade chicken stock, which you can then freeze and use for soups in the future.
    • Meal Prep - This recipe makes for great meal prep recipe for busy weeks.

    Top Tips

    • Make sure the chicken is completely defrosted before you begin preparing it. If the chicken is too cold, the meat will get tough when you cook it due to the temperature change.
    • Softened butter is pliable and can be easily spread onto the chicken compared to cold butter. One way to keep butter soft is to leave it out before adding it to the chicken or storing your butter in a butter keeper, like this French Kitchen Marble Butter Keeper or this Stoneware Butter Keeper.
    Whole roast chicken on plate with fall side dishes.

    How to Make Tender and Moist Chicken

    A large dutch oven, like this Staub 5.75-Qt Coq Au Vin Cocotte, will lock in all of the moisture in the chicken resulting in juicy, flavorful meat. Once you remove the lid from the cocotte, the chicken cooks in its juices while the skin turns golden.

    The olive oil and butter locks in all of the herbs and juices as the chicken cooks. Finally, salt penetrates through the meat and seasons the chicken through and through making the meat tender and flavorful.

    Dutch Oven vs Slow Cooker

    Roasted chicken is best cooked in a dutch oven or roasting pan. These methods are superior to using a slow cooker or crock pot for 2 main reasons: 

    1. Slow cookers do not reduce liquid - While slow cookers are convenient, they do not reduce liquid well. In comparison, a cast-iron dutch oven cooks evenly and reduces the chicken juices, resulting in rich, concentrated flavor.
    2. Slow cookers do not brown - Slow cookers only cook slowly, they do not brown or add any variation in texture like a standard dutch oven does. In contrast, cooking a whole chicken in a dutch oven without a lid results in juicy, tender meat and crispy, golden skin.

    Related Recipes

    • Rolled Turkey Roulade
    • Roasted Chicken Thighs and Vegetables
    • Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers (Without Rice)
    • Roasted Chicken Stuffed with Wild Rice

    Did You Like This Recipe?

    Love this dutch oven whole chicken recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY liked it, leave a comment below. Thanks!

    Meyer Lemon Roasted Chicken
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Dutch Oven Whole Chicken

    Dutch Oven Whole Chicken with Meyer Lemon is a show-stopping, flavor-packed dish.  Its quintessential California flavors include farm-fresh, Meyer lemon, and organic free-range chicken.
    Prep Time30 mins
    Cook Time1 hr 30 mins
    Total Time2 hrs
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 489kcal
    Author: Kathleen Higashiyama

    Equipment

    • 1 dutch oven
    • 1 knife
    • 1 cutting board
    • 1 mixing bowl

    Ingredients 

    • 1 5 lb whole roasting chicken
    • 1 Meyer lemon juiced
    • 1 lemon sliced for garnish
    • 3 tablespoon butter melted
    • 2-3 sprigs thyme
    • 2-3 sprigs rosemary plus more for garnish
    • 2 tablespoon rosemary chopped
    • 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
    • 1 small onion
    • Kosher salt
    • Pepper freshly cracked

    Instructions

    • Prepare the Chicken - Preheat oven to 425ºF. Take the chicken and remove the giblets. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
      1 5 lb whole roasting chicken
    • Stuff the Chicken - Stuff the chicken with the sprigs of thyme and rosemary. Place the chicken inside of the dutch oven.
      2-3 sprigs thyme, 2-3 sprigs rosemary
    • Make the butter and herb mixture - In a bowl, mix lemon juice, butter, chopped sage, rosemary, thyme, kosher salt, and cracked pepper. Brush the chicken with the butter-herb mixture, covering the entire top and sides of the chicken. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the leftover lemon and onion. Truss the chicken legs by tying them together with baker’s twine.
      1 Meyer lemon, 3 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoon rosemary, 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, Kosher salt, Pepper, 1 small onion
    • Cook the chicken - Place the lid on the dutch oven and cook in the oven for 1 hour. Remove dutch oven lid and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and crispy. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes.
    • Serve - Place on a serving platter with sprigs of rosemary and slices of lemon for garnish.
      2-3 sprigs rosemary, 1 lemon

    Notes

    Storage
    • The way you store leftover chicken will depend on how much leftover chicken you have. If you need to store most of the chicken, store it in the fridge in the covered dutch oven to lock in the moisture. Alternatively, carve the chicken and store in air-tight containers with the juices. Store the chicken in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat the chicken, slice it, put it on a baking dish or baking sheet, and reheat it in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.
    Cooking Tips
    • Make sure the chicken is completely defrosted before you begin preparing it. If the chicken is too cold, the meat will get tough when you cook it due to the temperature change.
    • If you prefer the chicken to be more juicy than crispy, cook the chicken with the lid on for more time and cook the chicken without the lid for less time.  For example, you can cook the chicken with the lid on for 70 minutes then without the lid for 10 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 489kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 486mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 384IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg
    Keyword: Christmas, Dutch Oven Chicken, Dutch Oven Whole Chicken, easy dinner, healthy chicken, holiday dinner, lemon chicken, roasted chicken, thanksgiving
    Tried this recipe?Mention @theheirloompantry or tag #theheirloompantry!

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    About the Author

    Kat Higashiyama and Alec Totto are recipe developers, food photographers, and the authors behind The Heirloom Pantry. Since 2017, they have shared recipes inspired by their Japanese and Italian heritage and California and Hawaii roots. They reside in San Jose with their two dogs, Peeps and Paisley. Read More…

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Megan

      March 27, 2020 at 8:03 pm

      5 stars
      I absolutely love this recipe! It is simple to make and is super healthy. The best part about this recipe is that it is guilt free and there are plenty of leftovers for the week.

      Reply
      • pastaragazza

        April 06, 2020 at 4:51 pm

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it! The lemons and herbs add so much flavor!

        Reply

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